lunes, 31 de marzo de 2014

Hospital-acquired
infections are a major health threat, and have prompted the development of
preventative measures incorporating things like blue lightand
selenium
nanoparticles. One of the latest such developments is a
light-activated antimicrobial surface coating made from silicone, dye and gold.
For some reason, it also works in the absence of light.

Created at
University College London, the coating incorporates crystal violet and
methylene blue dyes, along with gold nanoparticles. When the dyes are exposed
to light, the electrons in them become excited. This in turn results in the
production of "highly reactive oxygen radicals," which destroy the
cell walls of bacteria.

To make the
material, an organic solvent was used to swell the silicone, which allowed the
methylene blue and gold to diffuse throughout it. The dye- and gold-infused
silicone was then dipped in a bath of crystal violet, causing a layer of that
dye to bond to its surface.

In lab
tests, the coating was shown to have "the most potent bactericidal effect
ever observed in such a surface" when exposed even just to a regular
fluorescent light bulb, killing all the bacteria placed upon it within three to
six hours.

What was
surprising, however, was that it also killed microbes when contaminated with
them and left in the dark – it just took longer, up to 18 hours. It's
reportedly the first time that a light-activated antibacterial substance has
shown such good no-light performance. Exactly how it was able to do so is still
being investigated.

Additionally,
the coating is said to be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and resists
being worn off of surfaces when they're being cleaned. It could end up being
used on items ranging from medical equipment to a hospital's door handles,
keyboards or other frequently-touched objects.

jueves, 27 de marzo de 2014

Slaughtered
poultry or parts or other products thereof processed in certified Korean
establishments will be eligible for export to the United States.

The U.S.
Department of Agriculture has added South Korea to the list of countries
eligible to export poultry products to the U.S. after determining that the
country’s poultry-inspection system is equivalent to ours.

Under this
final rule, slaughtered poultry or parts or other products thereof processed in
certified Korean establishments will be eligible for export to the United
States, reads the Federal Register notice published Wednesday. All such
products will be subject to re-inspection at United States ports of entry by
FSIS inspectors.

In 2005,
the government of South Korea requested approval for the importation of Korean
poultry products into the U.S. South Korea stated that its immediate intention
was to export two types of ginseng chicken stew products. USDA’s Food Safety
and Inspection Service (FSIS) then began to evaluate South Korea’s inspection
system to determine whether it is equivalent to the U.S. system.

After two
audits and two corrective action plans, FSIS proposed equivalency. This final
rule will become effective on May 27, 2014.

Under
import regulations, the South Korean government must still certify to FSIS that
those establishments that wish to export poultry products to the U.S. are
operating under requirements equivalent to those of the United States.

lunes, 24 de marzo de 2014

Honey could
be one solution to the ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to
antibiotics, according to researchers.

It uses
hydrogen peroxide, acidity, osmotic effect, high sugar concentration and
polyphenols to actively kill bacterial cells, said a study presented at the
247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Previous
studies have shown that honey inhibits the formation of biofilms by disrupting
quorum sensing, which weakens bacterial virulence, rendering the bacteria more
susceptible to conventional antibiotics, said the researchers.

Honey to control biolfilms?: Susan Meschwitz, assistant
professor, Department of Chemistry and Salve Regina University, told FoodQualityNews.com
that it would make sense to prevent and control biofilm formation by using
naturally occurring compounds such as honey. She said they are testing various
honeys to see if they can inhibit quorum sensing and initial studies indicate
that some can.

“We are in
the preliminary stages of our research where we are looking at the effect that
honey has on a process called quorum sensing, which is a bacterial
communication system. “It is believed that in many bacteria, this quorum
sensing controls the production of virulence factors and biofilm formation.”

Antibiotic
resistance is becoming a growing issue in the food industry with a US study
showing that Kosher chicken has the highest frequency of antibiotic-resistant
E. coli at nearly twice that of conventional products.

The US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last year that antibiotic
use for promoting growth of food producing animals plays a role in drug
resistance and should be “phased out”.

Inhibit biofilms: Researchers will test the same honeys for their
ability to inhibit biofilm formation. “We
are in the process of developing these assays. Many of these effects have
already been seen with NewZealand Manuka honey. “We are hoping to see this
effect also with honeys from floral sources common to North America. Also, the
fact that honey uses various mechanisms for its antimicrobial properties makes
it less likely for bacteria to be able to build up a resistance.”

The osmotic
effect, which is the result of the high sugar concentration in honey, draws
water from the bacterial cells, dehydrating and killing them, Meschwitz said at
the ACS meeting. "The unique property of honey lies in its ability to
fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to
develop resistance," she said.

domingo, 2 de marzo de 2014

Even today’s severe snowstorm in Washington was not
enough to deter diplomats, health ministers and secretaries from dozens of
countries from joining us at HHS headquarters to discuss a new agenda for
global health security. We were joined
via satellite by the Directors General of the World Health Organization, the
World Organization for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations.

We came together in the belief that everyone –
regardless of which country they happen to live – deserves the basic human
dignity of being protected from infectious disease.

Our world is connected in ways previously unimagined
or foreseen. This greater connectedness
brings with it both new vulnerabilities and new opportunities.

On the one hand, microbes and diseases are moving
faster and farther than ever. And one
thing we know for certain: They do not recognize or stop at national
borders. A threat anywhere is indeed a
threat everywhere.

And yet, for all the challenges we face, we’re seeing
an unprecedented willingness to work together.
Meanwhile, scientists and researchers at places like the National
Institutes of Health are discovering new cures, developing new vaccines, and
unleashing new innovations.

The Global Health Security Agenda is framed around
three primary strategies:

1.Enhanced
prevention of infectious disease threats both naturally-occurring and
manmade.

2.More
robust detection which includes real-time bio surveillance and more
effective modern diagnostics.

3.More
effective response, including a public health Emergency Operation Center
in each country that functions according to common standards.

Global health security is one of President Obama’s top
priorities, and the Administration is working to advance these strategies.

Working together across 30 countries, we can protect
at least 4 billion global citizens within the next five years. And our vision is for all people in all
countries to be effectively protected against the threats posed by infectious
disease.

Ridding the world of infectious diseases is not a
small goal. There are few simple
solutions and no magic cures, but we can’t afford the cost of
defeat—economically, socially, or in the devastating loss of lives. With
prevention, detection, and effective response, we can build a safer world.